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The Burning Plain

  • 2008
  • R
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
22K
YOUR RATING
The Burning Plain (2008)
A drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother (Basinger) and daughter (Theron) who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.
Play trailer2:24
2 Videos
98 Photos
Psychological DramaSuspense MysteryCrimeDramaMysteryRomance

A drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.A drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.A drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.

  • Director
    • Guillermo Arriaga
  • Writer
    • Guillermo Arriaga
  • Stars
    • Charlize Theron
    • John Corbett
    • José María Yazpik
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    22K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • Writer
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • Stars
      • Charlize Theron
      • John Corbett
      • José María Yazpik
    • 81User reviews
    • 125Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Burning Plain
    Trailer 2:24
    The Burning Plain
    The Burning Plain
    Clip 0:55
    The Burning Plain
    The Burning Plain
    Clip 0:55
    The Burning Plain

    Photos98

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    + 92
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    Top cast38

    Edit
    Charlize Theron
    Charlize Theron
    • Sylvia
    John Corbett
    John Corbett
    • John
    José María Yazpik
    José María Yazpik
    • Carlos
    Robin Tunney
    Robin Tunney
    • Laura
    Gray Eubank
    Gray Eubank
    • Lawrence
    Fernanda Romero
    Fernanda Romero
    • Sophie
    Kacie Thomas
    Kacie Thomas
    • Vivi
    Martin Papazian
    • Young Man
    Sean McGrath
    • Cook
    JD Pardo
    JD Pardo
    • Young Santiago
    Diego J. Torres
    Diego J. Torres
    • Cristobal
    • (as Diego Torres)
    José Gallardo Jr.
    • Xavier
    Rachel Ticotin
    Rachel Ticotin
    • Ana
    Rosalia De Aragon
    • Aunt Rebecca
    • (as Rosalia de Aragon)
    Debrianna Mansini
    Debrianna Mansini
    • Paula
    Anthony Escobar
    • Priest
    Brett Cullen
    Brett Cullen
    • Robert
    Jennifer Lawrence
    Jennifer Lawrence
    • Mariana
    • Director
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • Writer
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In a 2008 interview, Charlize Theron said taking her clothes off in front of cameras in this and any other film is is as easy as drinking for her. "I don't really think about it much. I read the scene and if it makes sense I do it. I treat it the same way as I would any other scene. Whether it's a nude moment or sitting at a bar drinking, it's all choices. I don't think about it as nudity."
    • Goofs
      In the airborne scene of the crop duster dusting the field, the course and actions of the dusting process were inconsistent with real crop dusting. Spraying began at a point well into the field, and no distinct pattern was set such as to avoid missing or re-spraying spots.
    • Quotes

      Laura: Late night?

      Sylvia: I guess.

      Laura: Again?

      Sylvia: Again.

      Laura: Hmm. Same guy?

      Sylvia: No.

      Laura: Do I know him?

      Sylvia: Maybe.

      Laura: Do you know him?

    • Alternate versions
      There are two versions. Runtimes are: "1h 47m (107 min)" for the theatrical release, and "1h 51m (111 min) (Toronto International) (Canada)".
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: All About Steve/9/Extract/The Burning Plain/Big Fan (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Falling Star
      Written by Ali Dee (as Ali Theodore), Henry Hey, Alana Da Fonseca (as Alana da Fonseca),

      Zach Danziger (as Zach Denziger)

      Performed by E. Wilson

      Courtesy of DeeTown Entertainment

    User reviews81

    Featured review
    6/10

    Interesting story but technically incoherent

    The pace of the film (probably due to poor editing) is inconsistent. The first half of the film is engrossing, but the second half can be easily predicted. A lot of scenes of the second half can be edited out. Apart from the poor editing, the story itself and the way the story was told are intriguing. The film is women centric and portrays many issues concerning women: breast cancer, housework/chores, mother-daughter relationship, postnatal depression etc.. Charlize Theron suits the leading role particularly after her outstanding performance in the film Monster. But there again exists inconsistency of her appearance in the film (probably due to make-up/lighting filming) - sometimes she appears younger and sometimes older. It's understandable as the director's debut, but I think the director needs to work harder in order to coherently deliver an engaging and technically sound film.
    • yuwei-lin
    • Apr 15, 2009
    • Permalink

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    FAQ20

    • How long is The Burning Plain?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 5, 2009 (Argentina)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
      • Argentina
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Japan)
      • Official site (United Kingdom)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Fuego
    • Filming locations
      • Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • 2929 Productions
      • Costa Films
      • Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $200,730
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $58,749
      • Sep 20, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $5,642,478
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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